Sunday, March 10, 2013

Your American Sewing Guild membership can more than pay for itself when you take advantage of the many generous offers from our sewing industry supporters -- discounts on sewing products, publications and events,

Press your seam allowance back in place towards the back, over your trim.

You can see your original stitching line on the front-side of the garment

Edge stitch along the folded edge of your seam allowance.

Not only does it look off the rack on the outside, the Flat Felled seam creates a lovely and clean finish to the inside of the garment as well!

There are so many ways you can use this technique - pants, skirts handbags! And let's not forget the little guys, this is an excellent detail to add to boys clothes to subtly (or not!) embellish with a pop of color or texture.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

She's a funky girl, with the confidence to wear what she likes, and she sometimes sets the trend.

I try to tell her imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but to a 6th grader trying to be unique it can get frustrating.

Sometimes a girl needs something original, and between her taste and my stitching skills these shorts are just what the doctor ordered!

We started with McCalls 6391, view D

Here's how we got the look:

I used a black and white twill hounds-tooth print for the shorts and lime green satin for the trim - both found at Hancock Fabrics this summer.

Lime green buttons also from Hancocks.

She requested a few design changes, including omitting the font pleat for a flat front finish.

I also cut several inches off the hem and left off the cuff.

I trimmed out the pockets and flap using some lime satin, and although it looks like I went to the trouble to pipe them, all I really did was line them with the satin, and then rolled the facing out just a tad before stitching.

I used a flat fell seam to finish the sides, and inserted some more lime trim here.

I also used a double row of top-stitching on everything - hem, fly, pockets, waistband... The pattern only calls for traditional edge stitching, but I think top-stitched this way it has a more RTW feel.

And lastly, a lime green zipper. No one but Kadence will see it - but it's way more fun than if we had just gone with plain ol' black or white.

Some girls came early, some came late, some stayed all day - all had a blast sewing, shopping, eating and just hanging out. The Attic retreat center and adjacent store really are a wonderful place to spend a Saturday, both are full of amazing displays and inspiration and the creative atmosphere is undeniable!

The shop owners Kris and Mike were gracious hosts providing everything from drinks to personal ironing boards and waste baskets. Kris treated us with a fun make & take project so everyone went home with a charming pincushion, and armed with the knowledge to make more!